VOICES UNHEARD

  CHAPTER EIGHT!

  "Dele." He heard his step mother call from the sitting room. He hurried quickly to find out the reason for the call, or he would be punished. 

           "Yes mother." He screamed his lungs out, for he knew what would follow if he didn't show any sign or effort of response. 

He got to the sitting room panting forcefully. "Mother, you called." He said, holding his stomach up, like he got full from the short run.

Esther stared at him for a while, then back to the magazine she had been reading. "What were you doing before I called you? She asked, taking a sip from the juice on the side table and dropping it back.

       Still panting slowly, he replied. "I uh, I was on my bed just about to sleep mother." One could see the fear written all over him.

She gazed at him momentarily before speaking up. "Is that all? 

Dele wondered what she was up next as he had answered her, yet she still pestered him, or so he thought.

       "Yes mother. I don't feel too well, a slight headache has been troubling me since morning. I thought resting would help." He explained.

She got up and walked to the kitchen, while he followed after. "Is that so? Why didn't you tell me about the headache or am I the cause of it?

      He shook is head. "No mother, I didn't mean it that was way. Besides, it's just an headache and I didn't want to bother you about it." He responded.

She dropped the glass cup in the sink, then turned around to face him with a slight frown on her face. "Do you want your father to think that I do not take proper care of his only son? 

He shook gently. "No mother, please that isn't what I meant. Headache happens to me once in a while." He paused for some seconds. "I was stressed from school, so I needed to rest mother." He clutched his shorts tightly, scared that what he was thinking could happen.

      She sighed lightly. "I've sent the house workers home, they'll return tomorrow morning. Now, the house is yours to enjoy, so..." 

Dele wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. Deeply, he wished for death since no one was able to save him, not even his beloved father, who was hardly home.

Dele quickly knelt on the floor. "Mother, please don't punish me, I have tried to be a good boy for days, please." He pleaded, now sobbing loudly.

      "Owww. Unfortunately, you just made things worse, go to my room and wait for me." She commanded. 

Dele got up like a wounded soldier and headed to the room upstairs, knowing that no amount of pleas would change the horrible lady's mind. Her heart was as tough as a stone, a manipulator, a sadist and a deadly poison, that was his conception of her.

      He got to her room, rather the room she shared with his father. He undressed completely and laid on the bed, facing downward and weeping slowly.

A moment later, Esther came in, undressed as well and joined him on the bed. 

      "You have such a beautiful body and it makes my body crave some more." She said kissing his shoulders passionately. "You can't blame me entirely. Your father is hardly home, always travelling for one trip or the other, but I'm a woman you know." 

She turned him around to face her and while she thrust him into her, he screamed. She gagged him with a cloth she grabbed nearby to prevent him from making a sound.

       She forced him to succumb to her ungodly desires, she enjoying the whole torment, while he wished for death so he wouldn't have to face such pain anymore.

When she was done, she asked him to dress up in front of her, she watching while he did so. "You must not say a word to anyone to any soul or else, you'll face even more of me than you ever know." She threatened. "Do you understand?

 Dele shuddered. "Yes, yes... I understand." He stammered briefly.

       "Yes? She raised her voice frowning deeply. "Did you just say yes?

        "I'm sorry mother. Yes mother, I understand." He answered.

She murmured to herself. "You can go and have that silly rest you mentioned." She dismissed him.

Dele started walking out of the room, a little glad that the whole issue was over, at least for the moment. 

        "By the way." Esther continued to say, he stopped halfway quite scared. "Your father will be returning this week, so you have to be well behaved. If you try any silly act, your meals will be reduced, your school will be changed and any other idea that comes to my head.

        "Yes mother." He answered.

Dele got to his room and laid on the bed for a while crying uncontrollably. He removed the clothes he was putting on and thrashed it, then he went ahead to have a shower to wash himself of the filth. 

       He still felt dirty even after three attempts of showering. He went back to the bed and laid down after changing to a new clothing.

      "I hate this life, I wish I could die." He murmured. "I'm only twelve, why's life so wicked to me. Mum, why did you have to die, left me in a cold world like you never cared. I want to come along, I'm tired of this world." 

He lamented till he fell asleep.